Thread clearer



Jan. 21, 1936. s. HYSLOP -2,028,392

THREAD CLEARER Filed Dec. 8, 1934 Patented Jan. 2l, 1936 UNITED STATES OFFICE PATEN 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to winding machines, and more particularly it aims to provide a novel and improved thread clearer for silk, rayon and other threads, and having the advantages and improvements hereinafter described.

In the drawing of the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and description herein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the same;

Fig. 2, a front view; f

Fig. 3, a plan of the clearer plate;

Fig. 4, a side or edge View of the same; and

Fig. 5 shows the relative arrangement of the several parts preparatory to assembling and uniting them to form the thread clearer member.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, my novel clearer comprises a base I, Vof suitable size and material, as metal, having, on its rear face, a horizontal channel 2, adapted to receive any convenient member, as the traverse rod, not shown, on the Winding machine, and to .which it is secured by any suitable means, as a screw `3, extended through a flange 4 on the base, and against the rod referred to.

At the top and bottom, respectively, of the base, it is provided with thread guides 5, 6, of

suitable construction, to guide the thread 'I to and from the clearer plate 8.

The purpose of the clearer plate of course is to remove from the thread, so far as possible, slubs, knots, snarls and waste of any kind, as the thread passes through the clearer, as, if that is Vnot done, the pull resulting from a large knot or snarl striking the plate will break the thread, and then the operator must remove the imperfection,

retie the thread, and thus prevent the slub or snarl from remaining in the thread, and going into the fabric.

To effect the above end, the novel plate 8 is provided. The outer end of the plate is forked at 9, I0, to receive the thread 1, as the operator grasps it and guides it into and through the guide 5, forked plate arms 9, III, and guide 6.

The clearer slot I I may be as narrow as desired to receive the very fine threads now used, and the width of the slot may be made by my novel method hereafter described of any measurable width, as from l/ 1000 of an inch up. Preferably the slot is increased in width at points, as pointed out later. A

It is a matter of common knowledge with those skilled in the art that, as the thread passes through the slot of the clearer plate, the contact of the thread with the sides of the slot which,

as usually made is rough, acts to scrape and disturb the thread surface and create a fuzz, or fly waste, as it is called, of the thread material, and of an oily, greasy or waxy nature, if the thread is of rayon, silk or wool, which material forms part of the fly waste, thrown olf by the thread as it travels through the clearer.

Some of this fly waste collects on the plate surface adjacent the slot II, and some of it is thrown inwardly to-Ward the inner end of the slot II, and accumulates or builds up on the edges at the end of the slot II, back of the path .of travel of the thread.

To accommodate this built up mass of lint, it has been customary to provide an opening at the inner end of the slot corresponding to the slot II but that, in turn, is gradually closed by the continued lint building up process, and it is customary for the operative to periodically push the thread rearwardly by the end of the finger as the thread travels, and in that way, crowd the lint or waste out of the opening referred to, part of the lint or waste going, perhaps, with the thread into the fabric, some of the balance dropping through the opening to the floor, and some adhering to the plate.

I have discovered that, if a suitable opening, both in size and shape, is provided at the rear end of the slot II, the accumulated mass of ily waste will usually take care of itself. To meet this difliculty successfully, I provide at the inner end of the slot II a slot or pocket I3 progressively larger, both as to the width and length, and with no dead end, so to speak.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, there is provided the enlarged slot I3, into which the slot I I opens, and this in turn opens into a still larger pocket portion I5. Now, as the waste is thrown off the thread toward the slot I3, the Waste collects on the walls or edges of the-slot, and in due time the built up waste mass will usually drop 01T and free itself. If, however, it should fail to do so sufficiently to keep the slot I3 fairly free, then as the waste builds up in the slot I3, it will build up rearwardly toward the slot I5, and in due 4 time will drop through the slot I5, there being no dead end to the slot I5 to retard the free passage of the waste material through that slot.

To provide this slot I5 with no dead end, the rear end of the plate 8 is offset upwardly, or the lower face is undercut or channeled, as at I4, to the extent that the face of the undercut section is slightly above the plane of the upper face of the plate 8. The plate has an upwardly extended ange I6, seated in a channel I1 on the front of the base I, and where the plate 8 may be secured by any suitable means, as a screw I8. n

Furthermore, the upper face I9 of the plate 8, and also the lower face 20 if desired, are made sloping from the slot II laterally to the opposite side edges 2|, 22, of the plate to facilitate the sliding away from the slot, so far as possible, of some of the light waste before it becomes mixed with the wax and grease, or oil. Experience has proven that this material is so light that the incline referred to helps it to free itself from the h'eavier wax and grease. 'I'he faces I9 and 20 are polished.

To avoid the creation of the iiy waste to a large extent, the faces of the plates forming the slots II, I3, I5, and the edges of the forked arms 9, II), are ground and polished, as distinguished from such slots that are now merely sawed in the plate, and necessarily left unpolished, and thus the former really are smooth edges that substan tially reduce the wear of the threads in passing over them. Y It is very desirable to provide a thread clearer with a slot of proper size to clear a thread of from 1/1000 to 3/ 1000 of an inch in width, which is now much used.

To provide a plate with a slot of a thickness of from 1/ 1000 of an inch up to a width suicient to enable a polishing element to be used has not been practicable, but I provide such slot as follows:-

I make two plate members 23, 24, Fig. 5, either by making them separately, or by making a plate member 8, Fig. 3, and cutting it lengthwise along the center line, and grind and polish the edges. I

then assemble the members 23, 24, in Fig. 5, with a spacer of suitable material 25, as metal, between their opposed edges, of a thickness to provide the completed plate with a slot of desired width, and fuse or weld the rear ends of the pieces together.

Thereafter, the portion of the spacer forward of the flange I6 is broken out.

and an offset flanged portion at the inner end of the plate supporting the slotted member and secured to the base.

2. A thread ,clearer comprising a base having means to secure it to a support, and a clearing plate member thereon with a thread clearing slot having open ends and a pocket between the ends, and a transverse undercut flange on the rear end of the plate member securing it to the base leaving an unobstructed fly-waste removing slot and pocket from end to end of the plate to permit the fly-waste to remove itself.

3. A thread clearer comprising a base having means to secure it to a support, and a clearing plate on the base with a continuous slot therethrough longitudinally with a progressively expanding ny-waste removing pocket in the slot, and an undercut flange portion on the plate rear end supporting the plate on the base and leaving an unobstructed ily-waste removing pocket and slot from end to end of the plate to permit the fly-waste to remove itself.

4. A thread clearer comprising a body, a clearing plate thereon with a thickened rear end un'- dercut transversely, a longitudinal slot the length of the plate with a pocket therein between the slot ends, the pocket terminating approximately at the thickened plate section, thus providing an endless fly-waste freeing slot with a clear area of the ciset plate lower face between the slot and the nearest obstructing wall.

SAMUEL HYSLOP. 

